Book Review - Abuse & Betrayal by Richard Joseph

Richard Joseph pours his heart and soul in this divorce
driven memoir “Abuse & Betrayal.” Joseph brings to light a struggle that
many go through that we don’t always hear about when facing divorce and custody
battles while fighting inside the legal system that is suppose to protect the
innocent. Many people are fully aware of the dead beat dads out there but
rarely to you hear the about the fathers who fight with everything they have to
keep their right to be with their children.

Richard Joseph married Diane and many years after children,
her behavior became unacceptable and started to become disrespectful and out of
control. Finally, this unhealthy marriage led straight to divorce. With the
kids in mind, Joseph set out to make Diane as comfortable as possible by
offering what many would surely consider outrageous, in effort to keep the
peace. It seems that everything Joseph did for his ex and his kids always
backfired on him. Later piecing together that Diane could very well be a full
blown narcissist and she would stop at nothing to ruin him, even at the cost of
their kids. This book outlines everything of significance including events
leading up to the separation and ultimately the loss of his kids.

Joseph’s account is heart wrenching and completely
unbelievable. I find terribly hard to “review” or “criticize” any part of this
book for this simple fact. I must say that I come from a long line of
dysfunction and also share a familiar flaw called codependency. I read this
book in one sitting and I could not put it down. This book was something
similar to reading a fictional thriller, the impact was that great.

While it may take a lifetime for Joseph to get back what he
lost, he must continue living his life. Coming to terms with our own mistakes
and learning the lessons from those mistakes will (hopefully) keep us from
making them again. Some lessons come harder than others. Bad things do happen
to good people. There is not one doubt in my mind that he doesn’t love his kids
more than life itself.

No one on this earth deserves what Richard Joseph went
through. If it were me, I do not know that I would have protected any party
involved by changing their names when writing this book. Sometimes the truth
hurts, but that is just me. Who knows what I would do if I were in this
situation but I do know that I would not have been as nice as Joseph was at any
point. I hope that in some form or fashion, a level of forgiveness has been
offered by Joseph, not for them but for himself.

I feel like “Abuse & Betrayal” was written for
some form of healing for Joseph and I hope that some part of him has healed.
Although this book could not possible heal all of the open wounds, I really
hope that the next book from Joseph is a success story, one that he has made
for himself after this storm, a story that helps him in putting his self-love
back in place so that his heart can be open to receive the good that this world
does have to offer. I also pray that his children one day realize the truth.
Until that day comes, I hope to hear from Richard Joseph again with the next
chapter of his life.